The popularity of risotto has decreased somewhat in the days since the Searing. It used to be an Ascalonian favourite, but these days it tends to be viewed as a somewhat impractical dish. It's never really made sense to me as there are many other dishes that are just as complicated and still quite common. But, for whatever reason, risotto never really recovered it's previous status. That said, you can still find a few different varieties floating around and learning to make a good risotto is part of training for any decent chef. And all good risottos start with the universal Risotto Base.

Risotto Base

Ingredients

• 4-5 c. Herbed Poultry Stock
• 1 bowl of Fancy Tangy Sautee Mix
• 1/2 c. water
• 1 c. short-grian white rice
• 1/2 c. of shaoxing wine or sake

Directions

1. Heat stock over low heat so that it stays at a bare simmer.
2. In a separate pot, heat oil for sautee mix over medium heat and then add the rest of the sautee mix.
3. Cook on medium or medium-low for ~5 minutes.
4. Add water and cook for another 5 minutes.
5. Once liquid has evaporated, add the rice and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring often.
6. Add the wine and cook for 2-3 minutes.
7. Ladle ~1/2 c. of the stock into the pot with the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until absorbed (2-3 minutes).
8. Keep cooking and stirring and adding more broth one ladle-ful at a time until rice is fully cooked and at least 4 c. of stock has been used.
9. This creamy cooked rice mixture will form your risotto base. Reserve any unused broth for adjusting the consistency of the final dish.